Amos a



4 the points or ends of the hands, 7L, h

UNITED STATES PATENT LOCK.

To allwhom it may concern:

Beit known that I, AMos A. RICHARDS, of Urbana, in the county of Champaign and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Purpose of a Lock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a partl of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the outside of the lock and door to which it is attached. Fig. 2, a longitudinal elevation of the interior of the lock as seen from the back, with the back plate removed. Fig. 3, a section through the line X X (Fig. 2) and Fig. 4, is a perspective view of a part of the interior showing the rings, wheels, arbors, brake plates, stems and bolt, as hereinafter explained.

On the outside of the door D, to which the lock is attached is a dial el, and two hands 7L and z which are attached to the steel arbors S and S for the purpose of moving them as hereinafter described. The circumference of the dial d, which is of brass, steel or other suitable material, is to be divided into any number of degrees as shown in the figure and the degrees or divisions numbered. Each degree or division on the dial is to be marked by a notch or depression deep enough to receive and retain and these hands are made of the shape shown in Figs. l and 3, and have sufficient spring in them in a vertical direction-while they are perfectly rigid laterallyto cause them to iit into and remain in any notch at which they may be set.

The bolt handle H, is attached to the shaft of the pinion M, 2) which works the rack r and thereby moves the bolt B out and in. The brake handle 20, (Fig. l) is attached to the shaft of the eccentric E, (Fig. 2) the object of which is to raise and lower the lever L, for the urposes hereinafter described. The dotted lines in Fig. l show the brake handle p and the hand 7L with their positions changed as hereinafter explained.

The construct-ion and operation of the interior of the lock is as follows: The arbors S, S to which the hands h h are attached pass through the door into the inside of the i Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,980, dated February 15, 1859.

lock, where they are attached to two wheels, a and a respectively. These wheels which may be of steel, iron or brass, are shown in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 4 which shows in perspective the wheel a with the plate w removed. Each of the wheels a and a" has cut into one side of it an annular chamber, or groove n, of sufficient size to contain a strong circular steel spring e of a hook form. This spring presses upon the ends of four slides c which pass through four holes drilled in the rim or solid part of the wheel a as shown in Fig. 3, and by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. These slides should be of steel and of such size and shape as is indicated in the figures. Upon the circumference of the wheel a is fitted the ring X on the inner circumference of which is a triangular groove (shown in Fig. 3) into which the ends of the slides c, (which are ground into a conical shape, to fit the triangular groove) are pressed by the spring e. The object of this arrangement is to hold the ring X in its place on the wheel, a, and to maintain such a degree of friction between. the two by the outward pressure of the springr e and slides c upon the inner circumference of the ring X, that the said ring X, will revolve with the wheel a when it (the ring is not prevented from doing so by the boltstems 0 0 as hereinafter described-or may when so preventedmremain stationary and allow the wheel a when turned by its arbor S and hand 7L to revolve within it.

The above description of the wheel a with its ring X and other connection above mentioned applies equally to the wheel a which is like it in every respect, except that the arbor S of the said wheel a is large enough to allow the arbor S to pass through it.

In the outer circumference of the rings X X and extending back in :a direction parallel to one of their radii a distance equal to that which it is desired to have the bolt slide two slots m are cut, of su'tlicient size to admit the stems 0 o which` are attached to the bolt B as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The wheels and rings thus connected are set up in the lock in the position in Fig. 3, the arbor S of the wheel a passing through the arbor S of the wheel LC-and the bolt B and stems 0 and o occupying such a position with respect to the wheels as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The operation of these wheels and rings is as follows. `When the bolt B is back in the lock in the unlocked position, the stems 0 o are back in the slots m in the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the rings X and X are thereby held stationary and prevented from revolving when the wheels a and a are revolved. When it is desired to lock the hands 7L and it are turned to any two given positions on the dial d. Turning them turns the wheels a and a with which they are connected and establishes a certain relative position between the wheels L a and their rings X X. The bolt B being then shoved out-by means of the rack i pinion M and handle Huntil the stems 0 0 are clear of the slot m-the rings X and X are then left free to revolve with the wheels a and ahd they do so revolve by reason of the adhesion produced by the slides c and spring e as above described. When therefore the position of the hands on the dial is changed the rings X and X revolve with the wheels a and athe slots m are turned away from their position opposite the stems 0 0-as shown in the position m Fig. 2-and the return of the bolt B backward thus prevented, until the slots m are brought back opposite the stems 0 0 by the hands 7L 7L being turned back to the positions they occupied on the dial before the bolt was shoved outwhich can only be done by the person possessing the knowledge of where they were set.

It remains to describe the means adopted for preventing the bolt B being shoved back with its stems 0 0 against the rings X X at the same time that the hands h and h are turned by which means if not prevented the ret-urn of the slot m to the stems o 0 might be felt.

7 and VJ are two circular plates of steel firmly attached to-or all in the saine piece with-the wheels a and a and of such size as to project beyond the rings X and X as shown in the figures. The circumference of these wheels or plates is cut into sharp teeth or notches of proper ineness as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

L is a lever-of sufiicient size to be rigid and unyielding-working on a fulcrum u which is an iron or steel bolt, screwed into the wrought iron plate A on which the whole lock isset up. At a short distance from the fulcrum u--not exceeding onefourth of the length ofthe lever L a wedge shaped brake is attached to said. lever and so shaped as to tit into the teet-h or notches on the brake wheels 1V and W and prevent them from being moved. Instead of the form of brake shown in the figure at o-a broke in the form of a small arc of the circumference of the wheels W and W and so correspondingly notched as to catch a number of the teeth in the wheels W W may be used. Both forms are employed by me.

At the end of the lever L, an eccentric E, with its connecting rod t, is attached by which the brake lever L is raised and lowered by the turning of the brake handle p hereinbefore explained.

Z Fig. 2 is a catch in the form of a lever working on the axis u-which is similarly constructed to the fulcrum u, and it-the catch Z-works downward by its own weight. The spring y", is merely to cause it to work upward in case the lock should be turned up-side-down.

C is a check-bolt attached by the connection V to the brake lever L, and rising and falling with it.

z' is a slot, cut in the bolt B, to allow the insertion of the shaft of the pinion m, which shaft at the same time serves as a rest for the bolt to slide on. Similar slots are cut through the bolt, B, for the passage of the arbors Y, and Y, and for the shaft of the eccentric E.

The whole lock is set up as shown in the figures on a wrought iron plate A, and the back casing of the lock not shown in the figures, which is of cast iron has journals in it for the support of the arbor S, and of the shafts of the pinion M and eccentric E, and it (the back) is fastened to the wrought iron plate by screw bolts y.

The operation of the brake arrangement above described and of the entire lock is as follows. When the lock is in the unlocked position the bolt B, the stems 0, o the pinion M, the rack r, and the catch are in the positions shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The brake-lever L in this case may be either up in the position L or down in the position L, but it should be habitually kept down. Wvhen the locking is to be done, the brakehandle p, is first to be turned up into the position p (Fig. 1), thus raising the eccentric E and brake lever L into the position shown by the dotted lines. In this movement of t-he brake and eccentric, the catch Z which is in the dotted line position and resting upon the check bolt C-which is attached to and rises with the lever L, is raised into an inclined position as shown by the red lines in Fig. 2 the brake being thus raised the wheels W and lV are left free to move and the hands and 7L are then to be turned to any positions on the dial {l,-which positions must be noted or remembered by their numbers, as the mental key by which to open the lock. The hands being thus set, the brake-handle 79, is to be turned down and the wheels thereby locked by the brake 7c as above describedhb-y which any 'jar or play in the wheels and rings which might be caused by the shoving of the bolt or the subsequent working of the brake may be prevented. The wheels W W being thus locked the bolt B should be shoved out by turning the pinion M by its handle H. The brake handle p should then be turned up again to the position p to allow the wheels and hands to be movedthe position of the hands Zt 71, on the dial should be changedas shown by the dotted position of the hands in Fig. l-by which as before explained the slot m in the rings X and X is turned away from its former position and into the position shown at m Fig. 2, and the locking is completed. To unlock-the brake handle @Q -which, as before remarked is to be habitually kept down-is toV be turned up-thus raising the brake 7s from the wheels W and IV and allowing them and their connecting hands, wheels &c. to be turned. The hands h ZL are then to be set back to the positions they were set at in locking. In thus raising the brake lever L when the bolt B is out in the position shown by the full lines the check bolt C rises to the position shown by' the dotted lines in Fig. 2, behind the catch Z thus preventing the bolt B to which the catch L is attached from moving back, and hence after setting' the hands back in their proper positions .and bringing the slot m back opposite the stems 0 o', it,is necessary to again turn down the brake handle p in order to bring the check-bolt C, low enough down to allow the catch Z to pass over it and the bolt B to be shoved backwhich is then done by means of the bolt handle H, with its rack and pinionand the unlocking is completed;

from this description the operation of the brake arrangement will appear. When the door is locked and the brake down giving the interior position of the lock shown by the full lines in Fig. 2-though the boltB may be thrown back with its stems 0 o aga-inst the rings X Xyet the rings X X can not at the same time be moved aroundby reason of the wheels 1V, W being locked by the brake L" and the hands L thus pre vented from turning-and when the brake handle p is turned up to relieve the wheels 1V and W and thus allow the hand to be turned-then-by reason of the greater length of leverage-from t to ,7c-possessed by the check bolt G in its rise-over the length of lever-from u to s-possessed by the brake Zc-the checlcbolt C rises behind the catch Z so as to prevent the bolt B. being shoved back, and by reason of the difference of leverage above shown this is done before the brake 7c has been raised from the wheels 1V W enough to allow them to turn thus preventing the stems o o of the bolt B.y being pressed back against the circumference of the rings X X while the hands are free to be moved, thus preventing the possibility of feeling the return of the slot m to the stems o 0.

In the lock herein described and in the model accompanying this specificationwonly two hands are used but I apply the same principle to locks with four or any number of hands, each hand having its respective arbor, wheel, ring, brake plate slides and spring, as above described and the same brake being used for all. And by so increasing the number of hands and also the number of divisions on the dial the extent of the combination or the number of positions in which the hands may be set may be indefinitely increased. I. further increase the range of the combination by having the dial Z revolve upon its axis-the arbor S so that any division of it may if desired be set opposite the indeX line g, Fig. l, before setting the hands. This may be done by removing the screws Z, Z, and by means of them fastening the dial in some other position until the hands are set, when it is to be turned back to its original position. The new position must be noted and the above operation reversed when it is desired to unlock. A suliicient number of holes for the screws Z and Z are to be drilled for the screws Z Z in a second plate behind the dial plate and molding to allow the said dial plate Z to be revolved into any desired number of positions. The second plate here mentioned behind the dial Z is shown in the section (F ig. 3) at s.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The arrangement of the wheels a and a with their rings X and X and the spring e and slides c for producing friction between them, and the arrangement of the bolt B and its stems 0 and o and the use of the hands ZL and 71, and dial al by which the principle of the above friction wheels and rings is applied to this lock as above described.

2. And I also claim the arrangement of the eccentric E, brake 70, bralre-lever L, check bolt C, and catch Z, by which Vthe pressure of the stems o o on the rings X X simultaneously with the revolution of the hands L h and rings X X-is prevented as above described.

3. And I further claim the manner or arrangement above described of revolving the dial (Z by removing the screws Z Z as above detailed.

AMOS ADAMS RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. JAMES, Jr., HENRY ADAMS RICHARDS. 

